로그인~LORETTE~The moment those words leave Nate’s mouth, silence falls over the entire room.For a few seconds I cannot seem to draw a proper breath. The air feels heavier, thicker, as if every pair of eyes in the dining room has suddenly turned the space smaller. Nate’s request still echoes in my ears, too large and too unexpected to settle all at once.Then, slowly, he starts to move closer to me, stopping just in front of me, barely two feet away. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter, stripped of the usual cockiness I once associated with him.“I know I’ve messed up in the past,” he says. “I have no one to blame but myself. I was wrong about you, and allowed myself to be manipulated by other people, and in doing so, I hurt you more than I can ever fully make up for.”His eyes remain fixed on mine, and I can see the sadness and guilt in them so clearly. “But I want to make things right.” He continues, eyes turning slightly misty. “I love you, Lori. I love you so much that I cann
~LORETTE~The moment that reply leaves Nate’s lips, I freeze, his refusal landing in a way that I don’t expect.Something in my stomach dips with an odd sense of disappointment before I can stop it. But before I can bask in my sadness, he continues speaking, his voice calm and measured.“…unless Lori herself agrees to let me come over. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience her in any way.”The words settle differently this time my heart warming up again and giving a small, unexpected flutter. Hold on. So, he’s not rejecting the invitation outright. What he’s actually doing is placing the decision in my hands.Besides that, knowing how mischievous Nate can be, I’m pretty sure he’d replied negatively at first to see my reaction. Asshole.My brothers seem to interpret my momentary silence as hesitation, and Lucas is the first to speak, his tone gentle.“Lori, Mr. Hawthorne just saved this entire family from a serious problem. If that contract had been signed, the damage would have been enor
~LORETTE~Rutherford Clinton’s face drains of color as Hunter’s words settle over the boardroom. He begins to tremble visibly, yet still forces out another weak denial, despite being clearly caught.“This is all a misunderstanding… those documents are being twisted out of context. I would never—”Marcus does not let him finish. He calmly takes out his phone and places a short call.“Security. Boardroom. Now.”The moment the call ends, Clinton’s fear twists into total rage. His eyes lock onto Ethan with burning hatred.“You ungrateful bastard!” He snarls.Without warning and before any of us could see it coming, he suddenly lunges across the space toward his younger brother. In the sudden chaos, his arm swings out and shoves me hard to the side. The force catches me off guard, and my balance disappears at once. For a split second I am certain I am about to hit the floor, and I shut my eyes tight, already bracing for the impact.But the fall never comes, because suddenly, a pair of str
~LORETTE~The moment those words leave Nate’s mouth, the boardroom door opens once more.A young man steps inside with calm strides. The moment Rutherford Clinton’s eyes land on him, the color drains from his face. His pupils dilate sharply, and the uneasiness that spreads across his features is impossible to miss. For a second he looks as though he has seen a ghost.Nate does not waste time with formalities.“This,” he says clearly, gesturing toward the newcomer, “is Rutherford Clinton’s younger brother. He has something important to say.”Nate’s gaze shifts back to Clinton.“Just to confirm. Do you know this man?”Clinton’s mouth opens, but the words come out in a stutter before his temper suddenly flares.“What are you doing here?” he snaps at the man. “Have you gone so far as to partner with people who hate me now? You work hand in hand with people who would do anything to bring me down?”Lucas’s voice cuts through the rising tension, calm but undoubtedly firm.“Shut up and sit do
~LORETTE~The tension in the boardroom thickens the moment Nate finishes speaking, and Lucas is the first to break the silence. “What exactly do you mean by that?” He asks, clearly trying to keep his tone controlled and low even though it’s clear he isn’t pleased by the interruption. Hunter’s brows draw together as he fires at Nate too. “You need to explain yourself clearly.”Nate steps closer to the long conference table, his gaze fixed on the open contract in front of Lucas.“May I see the document you’re about to sign?”Lucas does not immediately hand it over. His fingers remain firm on the edge of the papers, reluctance clear in his posture.Before anyone else can speak, Rutherford Clinton rises slightly from his seat, his expression tightening with offense.“This is highly disrespectful and unethical,” he says sharply, voice raised. “Mr. Hawthorne is only acting out of jealousy because the deal with his own company did not go through. Now he wants to sabotage a legitimate arra
~LORETTE~For the next several days, I make a deliberate effort to keep a careful distance between Nate and myself.What happened in the bathroom cannot be allowed to repeat itself. So, I limit every unnecessary moment of physical closeness. Instead of staying too near him for long periods, I focus on the practical things like working with the house staff to prepare his meals, cooking the healing soups recommended for his recovery, and making sure he takes his medicine at the proper times. When he needs help moving around the house, I assist him, then quietly return to my own bedroom until I am needed again.To my relief, Nate improves steadily with each passing day. The color returns to his face, his movements grow stronger, and the sharp edge of worry I have been carrying begins to ease. The faster he recovers, the sooner I will be able to return to the Sterling estate.This morning, the two of us are seated at the dining table having breakfast when I set my cup down and finally
~LORETTE~ “I don’t think that’s possible, Michael.” Nate says into the phone, his voice low and uncertain. He keeps staring at me, as if expecting my face to betray the truth. I hold my breath, heart hammering hard in my chest. “I have the evidence here, sir…” Michael’s voice suddenly pauses. Th
~LORETTE~ Nate bursts into a short, dry, humorless laugh as he stares at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “You? Divorce?” He shakes his head, amusement dripping from his voice. “I have to admit that this one is indeed creative, almost cute.” I just stare at him calmly. This time, there’s no
~LORETTE~ “A divorce agreement?” Lucas’s frown deepens, as if I had just spoken in a foreign language. “What do you need that for?” The moment the words leave his mouth, regret hits me like a tornado. Instant shame washes over me, and I mentally slap myself for being so careless. Stupid. Stupid,
~LORETTE~ “Hospital?” Lucas’s voice immediately fills with heavy worry. “What happened? Are you okay, Lori?” “I got into an accident,” I reply quietly, not having the energy to explain more. We’re not close enough for that. “Oh God, Lori…” The panic in his voice grows. “Were you badly injured? Pl







